[A case of ascariasis in the gallbladder successfully treated with an anthelmintic injection into the gallbladder via a percutaneous transhepatic catheter].

A man in his 40s who had made frequent visits abroad was admitted to our hospital complaining of epigastric pain. Ultrasonography (US) revealed an "inner tube sign" in the gallbladder, which suggested a diagnosis of ascariasis in the gallbladder. Pyrantel pamoate was directly injected into the gallbladder via a percutaneous transhepatic catheter. The worm was dead 10 minutes after the injection. US revealed reduction of the worm's length and then the disappearance of the worm from the gallbladder at both 13 days and 2 months after the injection. This method is less invasive than operation and therefore is possibly more safe. It is known that the number of cases of ascariasis may increase in Japan due to increased organic vegetable consumption and foreign travel. We need to consider this disease in the differential diagnosis of epigastric pain.